Best Foot Cream

Best Foot Cream

My mom has Diabetes and I'm trying to find a foot cream for her. She has huge calluses on her foot. On top of that she has to wear hard braces on her feet. I like to take her with me when I travel. But her feet are in too much pain sometimes for her to walk much. Can anyone tell me what is good? She's tried Eucerin, Gold Bond and Miracle foot cream already. Which don't seem to do much. Thanks

If anyone wears braces and have any tips for making them more comfortable please let me know. She has tried moleskin and every type of bandage on her feet.

Zigzag,
Has your mom seen a foot doctor aboout the calluses? If they are from wearing the braces, a foot doctor should be able to determine how to tackle the problem, and maybe prescribe some custom orthotics or other padding/support to prevent them from forming.

As to getting rid of them a regular trip to a pedicure salon for a gentle callus treatment, a foot/leg massage and a little pampering costs around $30. Be sure to select one that is very careful about cleanliness and uses disposable implements. This is my first choice, but in lieu of this, and if the foot doctor says things are seriouus, treatment can be provided in the office and often paid for by insurance.

A once a month pedicure with callus removal - maybe every 2-3 weeks at first - is a wonderul gift for a mom or dad with diabetes. It helps to find one of the operators who is familiar with the art of gentle callus removal using an emery stick (not a knife) and diabetic feet. If your mom likes that person's techique, get the name and request them next time. C

Has your mother tried taking alpha lipoic acid (1800mg/day) and/or evening primrose oil? These are antioxidants that really work to help restore blood flow to the feet. They might help her strengthen her feet a little so she can walk better, and won't do any harm if they don't work. You could also look into TENS units; they help with pain and are often covered by insurance.

My husband goes to a podiatrist to deal with his caluses on his feet. They have something they put on that makes them disappear. I usually use the Eucertrin on my feet because it is unscented. The trick is to stop the caluses before they happen.

In the case of people with diabetes, callus removal is pretty much mandatory. It's the method & maintenance that needs close attention. Calluses grow because something is rubbing on a particular spot.

The first order of business is to make sure shoes and socks are not rubbing. This is the most easily fixable cause. When shoes are new, even a strategically placed band-aid can help. Secondly, the cause may be the way the person with the callus walks, or the waay their foot is formed. If the case is extreme, this is a time to at least consult with a foot doctor to see if corrective pads or shoes are in order. If the irritation tends to come from a particular type of shoe that the diabetic person chooses to wear anyway, then the callus must not be allowed to build to a thick mass.

The reason we don't allow a callus to build is because in the diabetic's foot, they are highly associated with (and often hide) the beginings of a foot ulcer. A foot ulcer may not be felt at first because of neuropathy-caused numbness. Once an ulcer has begun, it may not heal. This is complicated by low blood circulation in the feet. (It takes extra blood flow to heal a sore.)

So, keeping feet smooth and moisturized, keeping calluses gently abraded to a manageable level and keeping as much circulation in the feet as is possible are the keys to healthy feet in a person with diabetes.

There is an excellent paper by Murray, Young, Hollis and Boulton that details this. It is called The Association Between Callus Formation, High Pressure and Neuropathy in Diabetic Foot Ulceration. It is available online as a PDF.

Dear zigzig,
I used to have terribly dry and sometimes cracked feet when I was first diagnosed with D. I started using this brand of foot lotion, earththerapeutics.com and my feet are now like baby feet! I get it at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but you can get it online too a little cheaper. I love the stuff, and swear by it from now on. Use it every day after my shower, and sometimes at night before bed. Great stuff! Good Luck